Spokane staff present revised shared‑streets ordinance, propose one‑block pilot on Wall Street

City transportation staff presented a revised shared‑streets ordinance at the Jan. 21 Transportation Commission workshop and asked the Commission for feedback before any hearing or vote.

John (city staff) told commissioners the draft clarifies the difference between shared streets and a pedestrian‑only designation, raises the required elements for designation from three to four, and explicitly prohibits on‑street lane striping as inconsistent with a shared‑street environment. The draft also adds a provision that shared streets on transit routes require approval from Spokane Transit Authority (STA).

"This is a workshop, not a hearing item," John said, noting the proposal would not come back for a vote unless the Commission signaled interest. Staff recommended starting with a pilot one‑block designation on Wall Street between Spokane Falls Boulevard and Maine because that segment already exhibits many of the features the ordinance seeks to formalize.

Emily Poole, chief planning and development officer for Spokane Transit Authority, told the Commission STA had invested in rebuilding that corridor for the City Line and that the segment carries frequent service (about 7½ minutes at peak). "It is very challenging at times for the operators to have uncontrolled pedestrian traffic moving around the bus," Poole said, and STA favored language that allows it to approve shared‑street designations on transit routes.

Commissioners raised safety and signage questions, including how to communicate that pedestrians have right of way and how to limit conflict between pedestrians and scooters. One commissioner suggested asking scooter operators to use geofencing and speed governors on shared segments; staff acknowledged geofencing currently has limitations and said they would open discussions with operators.

Staff said any shared‑streets pilot would follow Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices constraints (yellow warning signs for speed) and would aim to use clear symbols to aid language access. Next steps for the ordinance include redrafting language on anticipated pedestrian/bicycle volumes (to account for "latent demand" created by improvements), revisiting signage options, and returning to the Commission for a hearing if the draft is ready.

If advanced, the City would take a limited pilot to City Council and then consider incorporating the approach into design standards, with further evaluation of ADA and operational impacts at the design phase.